Days 37 to 41 - Sarria to Santiago

As I write this post, I'm sitting in my hotel room on May 15th, which is actually day 42, my first 'rest & explore' day in Santiago. While I will get back to describing my days 37 to 41 journey from Sarria to Santiago later in this post, I want to celebrate and share my accomplishment while it's still fresh in my mind.

I DID IT! I made it to Santiago, the end of the 'official' pilgrimage to the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, and the tomb of St James, one of Jesus' twelve apostles. I passed through my starting point, the gates of St Jean Pied de Port, France, on April 8th; and arrived in Santiago's Catedral square 36 days later on May 14th. I hiked 32 days and spent an additional 5 'rest & explore' days in the larger cities along the way. I hiked 781 kilometers, or 485 miles, for an average of 15.2 miles per day. These are the 'official' hiking distances per the guide books. According to my Apple Watch, since April 8th, I've walked 1.2 million steps, and 593 miles. And the last time I was able to see a scale, almost 2 weeks ago, I had lost 10 pounds!

But these are just numbers, and they're not why I did the Camino. In one of my original blog posts, I shared the reasons why I was going on this Camino journey. As I think about my journey and reflect on these reasons, I can say I checked every box, and then some!

- To conquer the physical & mental challenge - absolutely, it was the toughest thing I've ever done on both my body & mind!

- To contemplate & reflect - did I ever! I'm grateful to have lived a fulfilling life and look forward to bringing home the Camino lessons I've learned along the way.

- Enjoy the journey - I sure did, and with hundreds of other fellow pilgrims who I connected with along the way!

- Raise money for awesome charities - yes, I have, and I'm grateful for those that have contributed. More on that later.

Bottom line, this Camino journey has been an incredible experience, one that I will cherish, remember, and hopefully take to heart and live out, the rest of my life.

FYI that this is not really the end of my journey, or the end of my blog. I still need to provide an update on my days 37 through 41 journey from Sarria to Santiago; and I also have 10 more days of bonus hiking, where I'll continue westward to the Atlantic coastal towns of Finistierre and Muxia, then back again to Santiago. And then I have a little surprise journey after all that, before flying home on May 31st. But for now, I simply wanted to celebrate the end of the 'official' pilgrimage and bask in the glory.

A few pics. More will come later.....

I made it!

St James tomb.

Celebrating with some of my fellow pilgrims in Catedral square. Buen Camino to all!

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Now, to go back a few days to share my journey from Sarria to Santiago......

There were 3 big themes about this 5th phase of my journey, from Sarria to Santiago: pain & suffering, crowds, & the meaning of my journey and the Camino pilgrimage itself. These were the things that were constants; fueling a variety of thoughts, feelings & emotions; and impacting my experience in very different, and sometimes conflicting, ways.

First, the pain & suffering. I mentioned in my previous post that I had developed a 'mild' case of shin splints, but had spent my last rest & explore day in Sarria in rest-only mode, icing my right shin down as I sat on the outside patio at a local bar, meeting with pilgrims that were passing through.

When I woke up on the morning of day 37, I was feeling pretty confident that my shin would hold out, given that the hike from Sarria to Potomarin would be 'only' about 14 miles. Over my entire Camino journey, I was finding that 12-13 miles was my comfort zone. Going beyond that distance is generally where I began to get sore & feel tired, but never to the point where it got in the way of (relatively) easily finishing the day's hike. Day 37 was true to form, although it was a day of several up and down hills, which made my shin a little tender as the day wore on.

Day 38 from Potomarin to Palas de Rei was a bit longer of a hike at almost 16 miles, and my shin splints were really starting to bother me in the latter part of the day, although I was still fable to fight through it and finish the day.

Day 39 from Palas de Rei to Azura was where the tide really turned. It was an 18 mile hike, and during the last several miles, my shin was really hurting and it felt like a death march. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the end, but I did. I had to fight through it, knowing that Santiago was only 2 days away, and tomorrow's hike was only an 'easy' 12 miles! A little ice, a lot of ibuprofen, and hopefully I'd be good to go for tomorrow's short day.

Day 40 from Azura to O Pedrouza didn't go as I hoped, it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Despite the 'short' 12 mile hike, which was easily in my comfort zone, it only took about 6 miles to realize that it was going to be a tough haul, so much so that I wasn't sure I was going to make it. It got to the point where it was incredibly sore, I was limping so badly, and going so slowly, that I was almost in tears and thinking about plan B to get to O Pedrouza. But somewhere around mile 8, I had a guardian angel walk by me. She noticed I was limping, and typed via google translate "how are you doing?" I was going to be strong and replied (like a typical man) that my leg was hurting, but that I'll be ok and will make it. She gave me a smile and pulled a piece of candy out of her pocket to share, then moved ahead. I continued to limp along, and she stayed ahead of me, but close enough, to keep an eye on me. She noticed I continued to struggle and waited for me to catch up. She offered me some (I assume strong) ointment to rub on my shin, and also offered me a big pill, I assume some type of painkiller. Without hesitation, I accepted both, she wished me 'Buen Camino', and moved ahead. I rested for a bit and then kept going for another 1/2 mile or so until I found a restaurant for a bite to eat and rest. I ordered lunch, and also asked for a bag of ice at the restaurant. I iced my shin while I ate, which allowed the ointment and painkiller to start kicking in. I decided to strap the ice bag onto my leg while I walked the remaining 4 miles. I figured the combination of food, rest, ointment, painkillers and ice would keep me going the rest of the way; which it did, but not without a struggle, and particularly in the last mile or so, an uphill climb into the town of O' Pedrouza. It was here where an incident occurred that my pain & suffering collided with the other two themes of this 5th phase of my journey, crowds & the meaning of my journey and the Camino pilgrimage; but more on that later.

Next theme of this phase 5: the crowds. Starting in Sarria, there was an incredible increase in the number of pilgrims doing the Camino hike; thus there were simply more pilgrims to fight with along the way, for space on the trail, and for a bed at the albergues. The reason is simple. To be officially 'recognized' with a certificate, or Compostela, that you've completed the Camino you need to walk at least the last 100 kilometers into Santiago. Sarria is the closest town within that range, so it's become the natural starting point for pilgrims seeking the Compostela.

The crowds were immediately noticeable when I walked into Sarria. Sure, cities are always crowded, but you can generally tell the difference between a pilgrim, a tourist and a local. The backpack is the first giveaway. But many of these pilgrims were 'different', they were in large groups, young & old; with special t-shirts & hats, & day packs; with nicer, cleaner clothes; they walked 'normal', without limps; they were often accompanied by chaperones or tour guides. They simply looked like they were on vacation, not on a sacred pilgrimage. And they certainly weren't the grizzled & hardened Camino veteran like me, who had walked for over 500 miles through hell & high water to get to this point in my journey! I'm sure you sense the resentment I was feeling for these new pilgrims, these 'Sarrians' or 'Touragrinos' as we jokingly called them. It was real, and I wasn't looking forward to fighting for space with them on the trail to Santiago.

When I started out from Sarria on day 37, the crowds were immediately noticeable. There were packs of pilgrims heading to the outskirts of Sarria and into the countryside. They were ahead of me, beside me, behind me. I generally like to hike alone, or with a few people at most, to get inside my head to think, or to simply enjoy the sounds of nature. I could tell this was likely not going to be the case, that it was going to be tough to break away from the crowds. Needless to say, this put me in a sour mood many times over the next several days towards Santiago as I would run into frequent 'traffic jams', and rarely get to a place where I was alone on the trail. But I was trying to stay positive, and show grace. As I had heard, read and talked about with my fellow 'veteran' pilgrims, every pilgrim has a reason for doing the Camino. It's personal to them, and we simply don't know their story. So I tried to 'let it go', but I'll admit, it was tough, especially as I was hurting from shin splints. But even through the pain & suffering amongst these 'newbies' along the Camino trail, I was to learn some valuable life lessons. More on that later.

The final theme of phase 5 from Sarria to Santiago is the pilgrimage journey itself, its origin as a Catholic pilgrimage starting in the 9th century, my own personal reasons for doing the Camino, and the individual and unique reasons that my fellow pilgrims had for doing the Camino. This theme didn't suddenly reveal itself during this 5th phase, it's something that's been with me my entire journey; but knowing that I was approaching Santiago, the prize jewel of this pilgrimage with its origins in the 9th century, the gravity of what I was doing really started sinking in. My mind was constantly flooded with thoughts of sharing a bond with millions of pilgrims who have walked this Camino since the 800's, for the common purpose of reaching the tomb of St James, one of Jesus' twelve apostles; but also for many other, very personal reasons, unique to each and every pilgrim. Deep & profound stuff!

The one constant along the entire Camino is the presence of religion, and particularly Catholicism. There are churches, statues, monuments, and relics everywhere, from the largest of cities, to the smallest of villages, and throughout the remote countryside in between. You simply can't escape it, it's all around you. And whatever opinions you might have of religion or the Catholic church, it's hard to deny the 'pull' it has on you, the deep effect on your soul as you're walking this sacred pilgrimage. And it's certainly imbedded deep in the people and culture of the region. It's most noticeable in the cathedrals and small churches. Whether it's the grandiose cathedrals in the larger cities, or the smallest of churches in remote villages, the religious imagery takes a hold of you through the architecture, sculptures, paintings, stained glass, and other relics. It puts you back to the time of Christ, his birth, life, death & resurrection; the sacred Mother Mary; and the twelve apostles. And the feeling goes to an entirely different level during a mass, with the organ music; the singing; the incense; the sit, stand, kneel ritual; and everything else I remember from the Catholic mass I attended growing up.

So it was with this backdrop of deeply religious and Catholic influence that I travelled towards Santiago, putting myself in the shoes of the early pilgrims, who travelled this Camino route without all the modern amenities, carrying all their belongings, having to fend entirely for themselves, and in constant danger from the elements and thieves; who were on this sacred, religious pilgrimage to visit the remains of St James, who was one of twelve apostles who lived and travelled with Jesus himself, who preached across northern Spain after Jesus' death, and who was the first of Jesus' apostles to be martyred, by beheading. Imagine what these pilgrims felt, what they went through? It was truly a sacred life & death experience for them, and when they were done, they often walked back to wherever they came from! No matter how great I felt about what I was about to accomplish, I was constantly reminded and humbled by the thought of these early pilgrims, and that these were shoes that I simply couldn't fill. Quoting from Wayne's World......."I'm not worthy!"

On top of this religious and Catholic backdrop, there was also the influence of fellow pilgrims I met and travelled with along the way, some doing the Camino for the religious pilgrimage, but most doing it for their own, unique personal reasons. As I travelled towards Santiago, my mind went back to my very first night in St Jean Pied de Port; dinner with the first pilgrims I met and the reasons we shared for doing the Camino; the pilgrim's ceremony the next morning where our hosts gave us a send-off blessing; walking through the gates of town as I started my first day's long, uphill journey; making it to the top after 14 grueling miles; the steep 3-mile descent down to Roncesvalles; resting my feet in the cold mountain stream before checking into my first albergue at the old monastery; sleeping dormitory-style for the first time since college, co-ed no less; waking up to Gregorian chanting at 6am on Easter morning; only to repeat the same grueling process over and over and over again; through Pamplona, to Lograno, to Burgos, to Leon, to Sarria, and everywhere in between. I was re-living all of it in my mind, or at least as much as I could remember.

But beyond the distance I travelled, and the towns & villages I passed through, what was really flooding back to me was all the people I'd met along the way; the intense connections we'd made; the stories, laughter & tears we shared; all of us with a common goal of making our way to Santiago on this sacred pilgrimage; but each of us with our own very different & unique reasons. There was Dan & Mary from Montana; Tiffani & Shane from Wisconsin; Paul from England; my Irish family, mom, 2 brothers & 2 sisters; Charlie & MaryAnn from Connecticut; Amy & Ricky from Miami via Cuba; Paul from Holland, the world's most interesting man; Gabrielle & Saul, brothers from a different mother, who recently connected via ancestry.com; Leslie from Atlanta; Felipe from Ecuador; Allessandra from Milano, Italy; John from Tacoma, Fletch and his 'lucky stones' from California; Michaila from California; Bernadette from Germany; Ella from Australia; Jackie from Montana; Bonnie from Spain; Meghan from England; Shinnea from Australia; Timur from Holland; Ingrid from the Netherlands; Mike, Regina, Susan & Tony from California; Anders & Ollie from Norway; Christina from the Netherlands; Steve & Leandro from Michigan; Martin (2 of them actually) from Germany; Cammi from Belgium; Simone from Italy; Peter & Tony from Taiwan; Joe from Idaho; Bruce & Jody from New Zealand; Bernadette from New Zealand; Karen from Panama; Elizabeth from California; Melody from Kansas City; Carina from Germany; Ruth from the UK; Susan & David from Mexico; Clemens & Frieda from Germany; Sue from New York; Bruce & Sue Sue from Florida; Renato from Italy; Tanya & Kim from Washington; Solana from Arizona; Frederica from Amsterdam; John from Toronto; Jerry from New Jersey; Kurt from Germany; Rhiannon from England; Augusto from Puerto Rico; Ben & Alvarado; from Ottawa; Talitha from Hamburg; Rehana from Guatemala; Joshua from New Jersey; Katrin from Germany; Paul from Germany; Dirk & Hans from the Netherlands; Julia from New York; Theresa from Austria; Delaney from San Antonio; Sara from Idaho; Molly from Minnesota!; Lauren from Wisconsin; and many, many, many others whose names I simply can't remember.

These are the people I connected with all along my journey. Some I met early, and crossed paths with often. Others I met once, or a few times, never to connect again. But all of them made an impression. They all had their stories, their reasons for doing the Camino. The loss of a loved one; a divorce; quitting or losing a job; recently graduated; recently retired; recovering from sickness or accident; diagnosed with disease; looking to pivot their career; to contemplate life; to get in shape; or simply to enjoy the journey. So while we all had our own, personal reasons for doing this sacred pilgrimage, we all shared a common bond of searching for something, looking for an answer or resolution to something, to make an important life decision. So as I was making my way towards Santiago, I was not only thinking of my own reasons for doing this sacred pilgrimage, but also carrying the reasons of all my fellow pilgrims I'd connected with along the way. The feeling was exhilarating, exhausting, emotional, and intense with each step I took.

But while I was experiencing these intense thoughts & feelings into Santiago, recall that I was also struggling with the pain of shin splints, and the irritation of the crowds. This conflict made it difficult to fully enjoy this last phase of my journey. But there was one event where all these circumstances collided, and ultimately changed the trajectory of my Camino and my state of mind into Santiago.

It was on day 40, on my hike from Azura to O' Pedrouza. The last mile of the hike into towm was uphill. I was hurting from my shin splints, limping badly on my uphill climb, when up ahead I could see a group of about 40 pilgrims. They weren't grizzled, hardened veterans like me who had started in St Jean Pied de Port, hiking 600 miles, and truly earning it. No, they were obviously those 'Sarrians', or 'Touragrinos', who had started in Sarria, going the minimum distance to earn their Camino certificate. And as I limped in pain from behind, I was mad & disgusted, seeing them in their all-matching blue t-shirts and blue day packs, talking, laughing, and simply having too much fun while I struggled. At that moment, I truly hated them. As they reached the top of the hill on the outskirts of town, they stopped to gather together. As I approached them, my disgust & hatred grew, as they continued with their loud talk, laughter & fun. When I reached them, they parted to make way for me to pass along the sidewalk. Then, it hit me. Like a lead brick. This tourist group of 'Sarrians', with their blue shirts and matching blue day packs, who I hated & was disgusted by with their loud talking, laughing & having too much fun.........was a group of special needs young adults, who were walking the Camino with their chaperones. As I passed through and beyond, they gave me high fives, hellos, and "Buen Caminos!" It was a true punch in the gut. At that moment, I was disgusted with, and hated myself.

The last few blocks walk to my albergue was tough. I did a lot of thinking, soul searching, and admittedly some crying about what I had just experienced. In the end, I came to realize that despite what we see from a distance, from outward appearances, that everyone has their own unique struggles, is dealing with their own unique issues, is searching for something that's personal to them, and making their own unique & personal journey. This was the point that changed the trajectory of this final phase of my journey into Santiago. Like the Grinch, my small heart grew 3 sizes that moment....and then the true meaning of the Camino came through, and I found the strength of ten grinches, plus two! Through this simple encounter and seemingly divine intervention, the pain and suffering of my shin splints, and my irritation with the crowds simply went away. I was ready for the next day's hike into Santiago to truly enjoy the journey!

Sure enough, the relatively short 12-mile hike on day 41 was pain free, and I hardly noticed the crowds; which allowed me to engage in the true meaning of the Camino, and fully enjoy the experience. The last steps into Santiago were certainly an intense & emotional, as I contemplated my own journey, and the journey of my fellow pilgrims; and particularly walking through the final gate into the Cathedral courtyard, where pilgrims gather to soak it all in & enjoy the incredible accomplishment of completing this sacred journey. Lots of tears, hugs, laughter, and high fives were shared, and pictures taken. The only regret is that I couldn't share the moment with all the pilgrims I had connected with along the way. But they were certainly there with me in spirit. Buen Camino to all!

I'll let my pictures do the rest of the talking........

Day 37 - Sarria to Potomarin - 13.7 miles

A beautiful hike, particularly the last several miles into Potomarin, a hillside village bordering a mountain lake.

The last turn out of Sarria in the early morning.

Pilgrims walking up the hill towards that last turn out of town.

I met up with Talitha and hiked with her briefly in the morning. It was a tough hike through some hilly terrain, so I thought of her a lot that day. How can she actually navigate through some of this terrain? Such of an amazing woman! I completed the 14 mile hike by 1pm. Talitha arrived in Potomarin by 4pm.

Another (small) bridge and river to cross on the outskirts of town.

And the crowds begin....

This woman was hiking with her 2 small dogs. They were amazingly well behaved. It was as if they were on invisible leashes.

A foggy morning and water was flowing everywhere.

Cows greeting us along the foggy countryside.

A local woman doing chores in a small village. I'm not sure she like me taking her picture?

A cool fence.

More fog.

A well-deserved 2nd breakfast along the way.

And a bathroom break.

This nun doesn't look like she likes being caged up.

Not great humor, but good Camino wisdom.

Butt scratch.

Cats everywhere along the way.

And beautiful colors.

A donativo snack. I had something like lefse, filled with jam.

A cool old barn & chandelier at the donativo rest stop.

And a huge wood pile. My buddy Clark would be proud!

I always found it funny that some people always took cigarette breaks on their Camino hike.

Up close & personal with a rooster.

My destination, Potomarin, in the valley below.

There was a steep decline through a rocky 'tunnel' leading into town.

Potomarin, a beautiful hillside town along a lake.

Of course, crossing the bridge into town.

This young gentleman was transporting his family's bags with a 2-wheeler. Not sure why they didn't use the baggage transport service....but what an amazing feat through all the varied terrain!

In town....

My albergue, up the steep hill at the back of town.

Happy hour with fellow pilgrims Katrin and Paul from Germany. The young couple standing (I didn't get their names) were fellow pilgrims that had just gotten engaged on the Camino the day before!

Elvis statue at my dinner restaurant.

An incredible steak dinner, with salad & wine. My first steak dinner on my Camino journey!

Day 38 - Potomarin to Palas de Rei - 15.8 miles

Another beautiful hike through lush, green, rolling countryside & small villages. And more crowds. My shin splints were hurting later in the day, but I made it.

The obligatory breakfast photo. Getting ready for a longer, 17 mile hike.

Crossing the bridge out of town on a foggy morning.

More fog - very limited visibility.

There's Talitha again. I had a chance to catch up with her and chat briefly. This is the last time we would connect on the Camino. Buen Camino Talitha - you are an amazing woman!

VERY foggy. A lone boat out on the water.

More crowds. I was getting a bit irritated at this point.

Some interesting characters in the small villages.

Beautiful countryside views.

But still interrupted by the crowds.

Love the colorful flowers all around.

Very up close & personal - such a beautiful animal!

I never seen such comfortable and well-behaved dogs than along the Camino.

Traffic jam as we're getting closer to Palas de Rei.

Made it.

My albergue.

A long hike.

My sleeping accommodations. I had to ask another pilgrim to switch bunks, to get the one near the outlets. Otherwise, I couldn't use my c-pap. Thankfully, he was agreeable.

Day 39 - Palas de Rei to Azura - 18 miles

More beautiful countryside & scenery. A very long hike, which was very tough on the shin splints, but I made it. Hope to survive with only 2 more days to go to Santiago!

Yeah, leaving Palas de Rei - that much closer. to Santiago!

So long Palas de Rei.

Another memorial along the way. RIP pilgrims!

Beautiful, lush green countryside and woods.

I had recently lost my sunglasses and happened to find a pair of Ray Bans along the path. Sweet find!

One of the cutest dogs I've seen along the Camino.

Another bridge - surprised?

Morning music through a small village.

A late breakfast with Collin & Chaz, fellow pilgrims who I had just met along the trail. They were high school students from Wilmington, Delaware. This was their final senior project. They only had to give a 10-minute speech on their experience. I'm not sure I could keep it under 10 hours! The Ray Bans were Collins, so my sweet find was short-lived.

Some fellow pilgrims dipping their toes in the cold stream for relief.

More beautiful flowers along the way.

It's always fun to FaceTime with grandson Calvin!

More cold-water foot relief!

Azura is close - thataway!

A great name for an albergue! It wasn't mine, however.

Santiago is not far off - only 24 miles!

Finally made it to my alburgue. My shin splints were hurting!

A long day!

My sleeping accommodations.

Day 40 - Azura to O Pedrouza - 12.1 miles

A short hike, should be good for my shin splints, although that proved not to be the case. I learned a great lesson today on this painful, but beautiful hike through the countryside.

Colorful flowers sending me off out of town.

The sun shining through the trees.

Some fun decorations at the local rest stop.

And of course, another fantastic breakfast. They gave me melted chocolate to put on my croissant!

First glimpse of the rainbow after a short drizzle.

And of course, the crowds.

A full rainbow. You can even see it through the trees on the lower right! It was amazing!

Some great Camino decorations through a small village.

RIP Pilgrim!

My guardian angel. Medication ointment and a painkiller helped my shin splints. Buen Camino fellow pilgrim!

Ice, and of course a cold cerveza, to numb the shin splints.

I saw this post on Facebook as I was resting and icing my leg. Incredible Camino wisdom, and so true!

The tourist group as I was heading up the hill into O' Pedrouzo. Disgusting with their blue shirts, backpacks, and having too much fun, while I suffered in pain.

About the time I realized who they were, just before they parted to allow me through. Lots of hello's, high fives, and Buen Caminos!

A big Camino, and life lesson learned. We're all dealing with our own issues, and on our own unique journey! It changed the trajectory of my mindset for my final day into Santiago! Thank you fellow pilgrims, and Buen Camino!

Made it to my destination.

A not-so-long, but tough, day.

My sleeping accommodations.

Shared bathrooms & showers.

The spot for dinner, called the 0 KM 19....meaning Santiago is only 12 miles away!

Time for a good night's sleep to prepare for the journey into Santiago.

Day 41 - O Pedrouza to Santiago - 12.2 miles

A relatively easy hike into Santiago. My shin splints had disappeared, I didn't mind the groups, and my I was in the right mindset to enjoy the last stretch of this sacred pilgrimage into Santiago.

A message sent home.....

So long O' Pedrouzo. Santiago here I come!

Following the crowds - they didn't bother me at all.

Beautiful colors & landscape!

Some interesting house decorations along the way.

Keeping an eye on the pilgrims.

About 4 miles out from Santiago I happened to meet my first pilgrims from Minnesota! Molly and Lauren, U of M students just finishing their junior year. It's amazing it took this long in my journey to meet someone from MN! Buen Camino!

Definitely a fixer upper.

First glimpse of Santiago from the hillside above.

Pilgrims leaving their hiking shoes behind.

RIP pilgrim! He passed on my birthday!

Stopped for a quick coffee and croissant on my way into town and got to watch an Octopus being washed & prepped.

Made it to the city limits!

An interesting fountain. Looks like Jesse Ventura throwing up.

First glimpse of the Cathedral.

A nice, colorful welcome.

And some live music. Those elementary school recorder lessons have paid off!

A pretty emotional moment as I approached the gates.

Coming through the gates.

I made it!

My official Compostella for completing the Camino. One is for the journey itself, the other indicates the distance I travelled along the Camino.

I attended mass shortly after entering the Cathedral plaza, and witnessed the swinging of the Botafumeiro, an incredible experience. It literally takes 7 people to swing the massive incense holder, which goes from side to side of the church, in in front of the altar, and almost to the ceiling. Truly a sight to see! You can see a video on my Facebook feed.

The incense holder is almost shoulder high!

The tomb of St James.

The Cathedral altar.

The Cathedral organ.

My first celebratory, happy hour gathering with fellow pilgrims. Dan & Mary from Montana, who I started with in St Jean Pied de Port, and Carina from Germany, who I met sometime after Pamplona. Good to celebrate with some grizzled veterans!

This is what the celebration grew to after awhile. Good to celebrate with my fellow pilgrims!

Which continued later into the night! Buen Camino and congratulations all!

Time for bed. Looking forward to a rest day in Santiago tomorrow!